Radioactive
by ZaharatAlkuruze
Summary: First fic! Basically me putting my oc’s in the DC verse, so don’t like don’t read. NO PAIRINGS. Will take suggestions with plot. Please R&R!


I stalked along the edge of the Gotham rooftop in my 'costume', a red leather jacket with ripped black jeans and black lace-up boots, complete with a dark maroon iPod hanging by the collar of my jacket. A faint claret glow hung around my body. A crimson earbud blasted AC/DC in my ear as I waltzed to the corner and continued walking—right off over thin air. Red energy swirled around me, glittering like a thick bloody fog as it carried me to the next roof, where my feet touched down firmly. I continued on my way; I had these powers for years now, and was perfectly comfortable with the aspect of using them to fly.  
The red mist dissipated, and I heard a shuffle off to my right, from the center of the rooftop. I sighed and rolled my eyes, pulling out my earbud and draping it over one of the gold rings adorning the left side of my jacket.  
"You can come out, you know," I called into the night air when it had recaptured the silence the figure stalking me had stolen. "I don't bite. You've been watching me for a few nights now, you should know this." A single large shadow detached itself from the rest, cat-like ears prodding the sky from the sides of the cowl, a cape sweeping majestically out behind it like a dark curse. Whether it was on him or me, I did not know, but I figured I was going to find out soon enough.  
For this was Batman, the Dark Knight- Gotham's most respected and recognized guardian.  
Man, am I going to regret going out on patrol tonight.  
"Who are you?" he inquired gruffly, his voice deep and gravelly. He sounded more like an angry bear than the impassive man the world had become so (not) familiar with. Of all the people in the Justice League to notice my little tricks, it had to be the one I knew literally nothing about. The one who dressed like a bat. The one who- "I asked you a question, kid. Answer it." Aww, dang it! I must have zoned out again. Stupid ADD.  
"My name is Nucleo," I introduced formally, watching him closely as he commited my superhero code name to memory. His expression never changed for an instant.  
"And do tell, Nucleo, what are you doing in Gotham this time of night?" He was mocking me with the way he said my name, it was obvious, but I ignored it, keeping my frustration, impatience, and even fear of the man in check.  
"Walking," I replied monotonically, keeping my voice and expression carefully impassive. He was getting no emotions out of me.  
"Well, if you're attacking the city, I'd start begging for mercy now." I let out an emotionless, flat laugh at this, a sharp noise that cut like a knife through the still night air.  
"I have nothing to gain from attacking anyone besides criminals and muggers, and even if I did, my pride would never allow me to beg," I deadpanned. I shifted my body slightly so my left hand was out of view, and pressed my finger against a small red button dangling on a keychain from my belt loop. Code Red Alpha: Found by the Justice League.  
"So you're good?"  
"That's not the right question."  
"What is?"  
"I could ask you the same thing."  
"No you-" his ominous comeback, which no doubt had some kind of witty insult tied into it, was cut off as a violet blur sped into his side. It pushed itself off the older man to reveal himself in my dull glow as my teammate.  
This was Velocity, my friend and someone I considered my brother, though I would never let it show. His shock of blond hair had been streaked with various shades of lavenders and purples when he got his super speed powers, and he bounced up off the gravel rooftop, eyes wide beneath his violet half-mask. His voice was muffled slightly by the black gloved hand covering his mouth in surprise when he spoke.  
"Oh, sorry, Batman, I didn't realize it was you!! I just saw a shadow, and thought, 'oh, dang it, that looks bad, and it's standing opposite Nucleo, let's run into that ominous blotch of darkness', and I-" he was cut off as another black-clad hand clamped over his mouth, this one not his, and a small whimper leaked out between the fingers.  
In an instant, I was on top of his attacker, the bigger lad's arm twisted behind his back in a painful way as I dug my knee in between his shoulder blades.  
"Touch my teammate again, and I'll make the devil himself resemble a fluffy little teddy bear," I whispered darkly into his ear before standing and giving Velocity a once-over to make sure he wasn't injured. Looking back over at the man I had tackled, I realized it was Robin, Batman's sidekick, and it was brought to the forefront of my mind that I had just made a huge mistake in attacking who Batman probably thought of as his son. Not that I would ever admit it aloud. My team looked to me for guidance, after all.  
I backed away towards the edge of the roof as Batman took a step towards me, not wanting to fight back and give him a reason aside from beating Robin. Velocity looked nervously between us, taking a few tentative steps backwards. I realized that if he didn't get out of the way now, he was going to get dragged into this, and I couldn't let that happen.  
"Velocity, get out of here," I hissed at the younger boy. No way I was going to let him get hurt.  
"What? I'm not leaving you, not in your wildest dreams!!"  
"Velocity. Leave. Now. I won't ask again." He frowned at my stubbornness, but knew that once I set my mind to something, it was a lost cause. He muttered something soft and probably offensive under his breath, but was gone in a blink.  
"Teleportation?" Robin guessed.  
"No, superspeed. He'd be flattered, though," I corrected with just as blank a face as before. Suddenly, a quiet whistling tickled my ears for a split second before pain exploded on the left side of my jaw. Crying out in surprise, I stumbled to my right with the force of Batman's punch, regaining my balance just in time to dodge another.  
"Bats, what are you doing?!" Robin yelled. There was no answer from the bird's mentor as he swept my feet out from under me with a kick. I grunted as my body fell to the cement, loose stones digging into my skin, but refused to show any more pain than that. I pushed myself back to my feet, standing there and taking it was he beat me up. I didn't know what his purpose was, but he only stopped when his sidekick dragged him away.  
By now, I was bloody and weak, and too dazed to here the low breathing as it rasped from the roof behind me. My head sagged, and I was just trying to keep myself from collapsing. I vaguely heard Robin and Batman conversing in the background, but it was as though I heard it through gel; everything was dull, muted. I probably had a concussion.  
A high cackle rang through the air behind me, and that got my attention. I jumped and whipped around so fast I thought I'd get whiplash, only to come face-to-face with the Joker. Oh, buttnuggies- I was in trouble now if I wasn't before.  
"Aww, how sweet! Little Batsy was kind enough to beat the little bug into the dust for me!" he cooed in a sickly sweet voice, sending a fist flying into my gut. I let out an oof as the air was knocked out of my lungs and stumbled backwards, but recovered remarkably quickly for the state I was in and summoned my ergokinesis powers. Adrenaline pumped my body back from the half-dead.  
I threw a few balls of glowing red energy, but he dodged them all until I created a shimmering crimson whip. Limping forwards, I cracked it against his shoulder, hearing him yell in surprise and pain and providing a distraction as I sent the thin string of energy to wrap around his ankles. I let loose a roundhouse kick at his back, sending him off balance, and he fell over after failing to step forwards and compensate.  
He lay on the ground a moment, dazed, until Batman grabbed a rope (black, of course) and tied him up. When he was done, he turned to me, fixing me with his iceberg-worthy Batglare. I winced inwardly, but didn't let it show on the outside. Dang, he could be imposing when he wanted to be.  
"I already told you, I'm on your side," I hissed through teeth gritted in pain. "Why else would I have just beat up the Joker?" Batman looked slightly uncomfortable, hesitating with whatever he was going to do until a raspy voice chuckled lowly behind him. The sound sent chills down my back, and I felt myself tense up.  
"Ah, you may have beaten me up, but you have not beaten me!!" he cackled in a warning voice. I grimaced in confusion at his twisted smirk, but our unspoken questions were answered when he wiggled around a moment, turning to reach his hand behind his back. Batman took a menacing step forwards, but before he could do anything, the Joker had jerked his body and thrown something at me.  
I dodged to the side and snatched it out of midair, grasping it in my fingers and attempting to make out what it was in the faint glow my body was giving off. A dart. Judging by the greenish tint to the liquid sloshing inside the clear plastic, it was Joker's special tranquilizer formula, designed to put you out for days. Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I turned back to him with a minuscule frown plastered on my face.  
"And tell me, clown, why did you want me unconscious?" I growled with a glare harsher than Batman's. The idiot had used these on me before, and what he'd done when I woke up had scarred me- both physically and emotionally. I hated the Joker with all me being.  
"I'm not a clown! Though I must say, I'm flattered you think so. Anyways, I just wanted some revenge for our last little talk," he explained innocently, his terrible puppy eyes staring up at me from his pale, gaunt face. Furrowing my brow, I threw the dart with deadly precision, the tip burying itself dead center in his chest. Joker stiffened for a moment before slumping to the gravel rooftop, unconscious and harmless.  
"That wasn't a talk, that was so much worse than a talk," I growled at his limp form. Squinting, I turned my gaze to meet Batman's. "Now do you believe me?" He didn't answer, just kept staring at me. I sighed.  
"Uhh, so, you know the Joker?" an awkward voice asked behind me. I turned to see Robin standing there.  
"Know is an understatement; I've hated him since I was six. Now I try to stop him from hurting other people." Not waiting for an answer, I spun to walk in the other direction, gingerly laying a hand on my ribs. I really didn't want to stay here with Batman's gaze burning into my back any longer.  
Walking off the edge of the roof, I felt energy swirl around me as I floated off, my glowing outline silhouetted against the starry Gotham sky. For once it wasn't cloudy, and I intended to make the most of the beautiful weather, abandoning the Bats behind me.  
About two and a half miles away, I could feel myself weakening quicker than ever from my injuries, my crimson energy beginning to flicker. I changed my direction towards my team's headquarters, letting my mind drift in hope of forgetting the pain. My thoughts turned to my first experience with the Joker.  
Four years ago, when I was six, I still had siblings and parents. I was a triplet. I had two other brothers, Quinn and Dale, and a little sister, Lily. We were a family, albeit a torn one.  
My father had beat us all, including my mother, and was found guilty when we were seven. He was put in jail, our parents were divorced, and mom remarried. Our stepdad, who insisted we call him Josh or Dad (we all called him Josh), was nice, but by then, my brothers and I were basically broken. We were terrified of everything, and if that wasn't enough, the Joker decided to take a road trip to the nuclear plant we lived by.  
He took a bomb and a getaway jet, though Lord knows where he found someone willing to risk the wrath of the Justice League and get him out of there. Superman came and tried to help, but he only got a few families out before the plant exploded, causing a nuclear meltdown and taking half my city with it.  
My entire family died that day.  
Alone, I left and never looked back.  
Breakline  
"Give it back!"  
"No, it's mine!"  
"You dolt, I'm the one who found it!" I rubbed my temples and sighed, feeling my pounding headache become a throbbing migraine pulsing behind my eyes. Ahzmiss and Fallon were fighting again. I scowled slightly as Velocity, or Ryan as a civilian , skidded to a stop in front of me, bringing with him a burst of cool air.  
"Oh my gosh, Drew, what happened?! What the heck did you do, take on Batman?!" At his panicked concern and speculation echoed throughout the tiny apartment, I just pushed past him to get a roll of bandages from my living space.  
"I'll clean up the blood on the floor later," was all I said before I disappeared beyond the threshold and slamming the door shut behind me. The second the lock clicked at my back, I allowed the pain and exhaustion to show, collapsing on the ground. I panted with the effort of hiding my weakness from the team, but I had to. Otherwise, how could they trust me to be their leader? I was pathetic.  
Dragging myself across the cream-colored carpet, wincing at each dried bloodstain I saw, I clawed open the bottom drawer of my dresser and removed a neatly wrapped role of gauze. Dropping a first-aid kit next to it, I quickly cleaned and dressed my cuts and scrapes, carefully wrapping my broken ribs and trying not to cry. I couldn't afford to be weak, to be pathetic. My team needed me.  
"Hey, Lightbulb! You coming?" an obnoxious voice yelled at the door. It was accompanied by the pounding of fists on wood. "Come on! Ahzmiss and Fallon are arguing over who's making dinner, and we need you as a mediator."  
"You have an odd number of people without me, unless someone isn't here, and we all agreed we would all be here at 8:00 pm for a report in what we did unless we had a previous engagement or were too sick to get out of bed."  
"Well, see, us seven are here, but Asher's asleep, so..." I resisted the urge to do a double take at his words. Asher was sleeping in the presence of someone else? When did this happen?!  
"Really? When did he start sleeping here?" I asked nonchalantly, trying not to show my curiosity and surprise, despite him still being on the other side of the door.  
"Oh, he's been doing it for a couple months now, but always seems to wake up right before you get here." Ryan was seemingly oblivious to what was going on. Asher, or Bloodriver, our resident maesokinetic, did not trust me, and therefore did not sleep while I was there. Dang it, I needed their trust if the JL was on to us...  
"Well, then, wake him up. It's 7:54, and I don't want him to miss the meeting. As for the dinner argument, have Asher decide. I'm not going to eat here anyways," I instructed smoothly, opening my door and bolting into the kitchen to grab a towel for the blood in the hall.  
I reached up towards the cabinet, wincing and huffing when I couldn't reach the knob without hurting my already injured shoulder. An annoying laugh rang through the kitchen, and, recognizing the voice, I was I unable to stop the flinch that always came with being near Quinn. He was a pyrokinetic, also called Blazeweilder, but that wasn't what bothered me; it was his uncanny likeness to by brother Quinn, in both name and looks. He noticed I was wary around him, but I think he thought I was just scared of him.  
"Here, Drew, let me help you with that. Although I will say, if that hurts, then you probably shouldn't be bending down to the floor..." he trailed off as he snatched a clean towel and shut the dark wood cabinet with a bang. I frowned as he walked out of the kitchen to the hall to clean up my mess. Now I was useless.  
Ahzmiss and Fallon abruptly swept in and rushed to either side of me, yelling in my ear about how I was supposed to be leader and telling me I needed to tell them who would make dinner. I rubbed my temples and shut them out, desperately trying to ignore them as I slowly walked out of the room and to the den, where we held our meetings.  
Once there, I dropped myself on the brown leather couch and felt a dip on each side of me as my two arguing teammates sat down next to me. A moment later, I heard Evan's light footsteps enter the room and looked up to see him pass me a sympathetic look as he sat in the tatty green armchair by the crumbling brick fireplace. He crossed his ankles and rested his heels on the stained used-to-be white carpet, grimacing and rubbing his ears as the girls' voices rose.  
Suddenly, Fallon, or Frostfox, grabbed my upper arm in a vice grip. I flinched violently at the unexpected contact and winced when it jostled my injuries. Everyone stopped and looked at me, and I felt my face begin to turn the color of the energy I manipulated at the attention.  
"Drew, you are okay? I not flinch like that, and I shapeshift into stag. You know how jumpy stags be?" Evan inquired gently, concern tinting his accented voice. I jerked my head up and resisted cringing when I saw the pity shining in his huge brown eyes.  
"I'm fine," I snapped quickly, watching guiltily as hurt mingled with the pity to make unintentional puppy eyes. "Sorry," was all I muttered before standing and shakily making my way to the hall. They couldn't find out, they couldn't make the connection; if they knew I was abused, they'd look at me with all the pity and sympathy in the world, the exact opposite of what I wanted and needed. No one could know my past or present.  
I leaned against the wall, my legs feeling like Jell-o and not wanting to support me anymore. Slowly sliding down to the ground, I curled in on myself and ran a tired hand through my messed-up hair. My other hand fingered my earbud, pulling it out of the gold ring and placing it in my ear.  
This time, however, instead of playing music, with the press of a button, I was listening to a two year old message, the last message my sister sent me before she died.  
Lily's voice flooded my ears, and her speech gave me comfort, bringing confidence back into my beaten body. A faint smile danced on my lips as I listened to the recorded message, one I had heard enough times for it to be memorized.  
"Hey, Drew, this is Lily. Josh wants to bring mom out to dinner, so she wanted you to come home from the park early, so you can keep Quinn and Dale in line. I could probably do it if I weren't a year younger, but as long as it's not interrupting your study group, mom wants you back early for damage control. They're leaving at 6:00, so be here to say goodbye. See you in a bit! Bye, I love you!" The message ended with a beep, and I choked on the air I was breathing. Mom and Josh hadn't gotten to leave for their dinner before the plant blew up, and because my study group had finished up early, I had come home from the park sooner just as I had planned.  
It resulted in me watching my family die, earning hundreds of scars under my clothes, and getting my powers. I regretted not going home earlier and letting mom and Josh leave before they died too, but I had come to terms with the fact that my siblings would have died either way. Nonetheless, however, I still blamed myself for their deaths. Before I had gotten home, I had felt the dread settling in the pit of my stomach, and I should have done something, anything, to save them.  
Pulling myself together as I heard footsteps echoing down the hallway towards me, I wiped all traces of emotion off my face and stood from my position on the floor. I was just in time, too, as Ryan rounded the corner, Asher hot on his heels. He tended when he saw me, wariness entering his eyes, and I wondered how I hadn't noticed it before. I practically had to have my eyes shut.  
"Asher, Ryan." I nodded my head in acknowledgement to the two of them. Ryan grinned, but Asher merely frowned in my direction, pushing past me to enter the living room. "Where are Quinn and Austin? They should be here right now, it's two minutes to eight, and I don't want them late."  
"Don't worry, they're coming; they just had a little extra trouble with a robbery in Crater City." I blinked in surprise. Evan was from Crater City, having grown up there, and we usually let him take the cases there. He must not have been available.  
"Well, I'll call them in to make sure they don't need backup if they're not here by eight ten. They can be a little late if they're doing their job." Just then, the door down the hall, the one that led to the foyer, burst open. Austin flew in on her massive snow-white wings, blood dribbling down her pale face from a cut on her forehead. It dropped in her eyes, and I realized with a start she was panicking. With her being one of the happiest and most optimistic of our entire team, it was rare and to be taken seriously when she was worried.  
"Austin, what's wrong?" I confronted her immediately.  
"Well, we were in Crater City, dealing with a robbery in a jewelry store, and you'll never guess who showed up!" she painted, obviously having flown all the way here with Quinn in her grasp. He was currently having what looked like a panic attack next to her, panting and clutching his chest. Ryan zipped over to his side and told him to breathe, rubbing his back. I paused, then turned back to Austin.  
"Why don't we go over this in the meeting? That way you don't have to repeat it, and we can all hear it and discuss it at once." She nodded shakily at my suggestion, but when she took a step forwards toward the living room door, she nearly collapsed. I caught her with my energy and darted over to support her with my own body, half-carrying her to the living room. Ryan did the same with Quinn.  
As we walked into the living room, Asher was immediately by Austin's side, pulling the blood off her face and into his hand, absorbing it as he increased the amount of platelets on the surface drops so the cut clotted almost immediately. I could tell it made him uncomfortable to be this close to me while I was supporting the winged girl, but he worked through it. He hurried back to his seat on the couch the second he was done.  
"Well, can you explain what happened now?" I asked calmly, easing her down next to Fallon on the couch. She nodded a weak affirmative, and I glanced around to make sure everyone was listening before she began.  
To Austin's right was Fallon, or Frostfox, a teenager with white hair and electric blue eyes. She had weak cryokinesis, able to stir up a cold, snowy wind with a radius of about five feet out around her. She was also a foxshifter with white fur, meaning she could shapeshift into a fox with a thick white coat at will. She was looking intently at Austin, who was probably one of her only friends, considering her antisocial tendencies and opinion the human interaction was frivolous and inefficient.  
Next was Ahzmiss, the stronger cryokinetic of the two. She could manipulate all things ice and snow, as well as drastically lower her body temperature, but could not create substance out of thin air unless she was creating a blizzard. Curly white hair spilled around black horns on either side of her head, falling to her shoulders. Her pupils were horizontal ovals surrounded by red irises with a hint of worry in them at her teammate's shaken demeanor, disregarding her normal cold attitude. She hovered about two feet off the couch, her height limit, in anxiety.  
Peeking over Ahzmiss' shoulder was a nervous Evan, having hopped onto the couch from his chair when Austin came in. His hero name was Stag, coming from his being a stagshifter. This meant he could shapeshift into a stag at will, much like Fallon. He was jumpy as heck, his brown hair streaked with white to resemble fur and antlers. His rich brown eyes were slightly angular and his skin a light tan, as though he spent a lot of time in the sun, and he was a vegetarian due to his being technically part stag.  
Standing behind the couch was Asher, or Bloodriver. His black hair and irises gave me the feeling he was looking everywhere at once, staring into everybody's souls. He had sightline maesokinesis, so if he could see the blood, he could manipulate it. I suppressed a shudder and turned my attention the the armchair Evan no longer occupied.  
Ryan had set down Quinn here, a pyrokinetic with flaming red hair sticking up at odd angles and bright jade eyes, though they were dulled and glazed over with panic. His strong frame was shivering slightly, and judging by his powers, it was not from the temperature. It was practically impossible to make him cold. His hero name was Blazeweilder. I stayed as far away from him as possible for the fact that he shared my late triplet's name. His attitude and voice were much the same as well, making me steer clear of his infectious laugh for fear of having a flashback.  
Resting on the arm of the chair was Ryan, watching Austin intently and vibrating slightly in anticipation, causing his lean runner's form to blur slightly around the edges. Having confirmed that everyone was paying attention and feeling confident we wouldn't have to repeat anything, I turned back to Austin.  
Her small frame was trembling slightly, most likely from fear, and her angelic white wings were wrapped around her body. Blond hair tumbled around her sharp jawline and tremulous shoulders, framing her delicate, pale features and wide, glowing green eyes. Her voice shook as she began her retelling in a whisper.  
"Well, we were catching some idiots robbing a store in Crater City-"  
"Wait, what you in my city?" Evan interrupted.  
"Why, Evan. It's 'Why were you in my city'," I corrected half heartedly. "Continue, Austin."  
"We were in the area, and when the alarms went off, we were close enough to the city border to get there almost immediately. Anyway, we stood them and were turning them in to the police, and Green Arrow showed up. Green. Arrow. And then I guess he called some other Leaguers on an earpiece or something, because then Flash and Superman were there, and we were panicking so I grabbed Quinn and carried him back here."  
Evan, still looking over Ahzmiss' shoulder, had paled significantly when Austin had mentioned the green-clad hero.  
"G-Green Arrow? What he doing in my city?" He stuttered, eyes wide in horror. Austin shrugged as if to say she didn't know, giving him a curious look. Knowing that Evan was Oliver Queen's ward and consequently Green Arrow's, I quickly changed the subject.  
"I'm more worried about Superman. He could have followed you here. Did you check?" Just as I said this, there was a pounding on the front door. Evan darted into the hallway, sniffing the air, and came back shaky.  
"I smelled Green Arrow," he squeaked. Asher's eyes zeroed in on him, and I guessed he was wondering, much like probably everyone else in the room except me, how he knew what Green Arrow smelled like. But no one had any time to ask as the door was cruelly abused by another pounding fist.  
"Everyone else get out of here," I instructed. "Leave out the window and help anyone who can't. I'll hold them off until you get away then go with you. Go!" My tone left no room for argument, and only Ryan hesitated as everyone else ran for the window as Quinn shoved it open.  
"Drew, are you sure?" he asked softly. "You took a beating earlier, whether it be from Batman or not. You probably couldn't even take on the League in top shape, no offense." I looked him straight in the eye, determination set on my features.  
"That's why I'm not going to. I may not be strong enough to take them down, but I'm smart enough to hold them off." The door shuddered under another violent impact, and my gaze flickered to the hall for a moment. "Get out, Velocity!" He nodded, eyes widening, and grabbed Evan. The younger boy let out a surprised yelp as he was sped away in a violet-and-brown streak. I walked into the hallway to face the door.  
"Open up or we'll break the door!" a voice yelled. I smothered a snicker as there was the sound of flesh on flesh and an annoyed grunt, signaling whoever had said that probably got a hit upside the head.  
However, he was proven to be sort of correct as a soft clicking alerted me that the lock had been picked. Okay, so, Batman was probably here. The door swung open, confirming my theory.  
There, in the doorway to our apartment, my team's headquarters, stood the following members of the Justice League: Green Arrow, Batman, the Flash, Superman, and the Green Lantern. Why the Green Lantern was there was a mystery, as we hadn't actually encountered him before and he had no reason to show up, but I just tilted my head to the side. This unknowingly made me look like a curious puppy, but the Flash actually tilted his head as well, and I beat down the amused cackle bubbling up in my throat.  
"Look," I said monotonically, cutting straight to the point. "Batman already did a superb job beating me up, and because I don't want anymore injuries than I have, I'll make you a deal." Superman shot Batman a glare that obviously said, 'We'll discuss this later", but turned back to me with a slightly curious expression on his face as he spoke.  
"What deal?"  
"If you leave my team alone, and by you I mean the League as a whole, including all your possible contacts and sources, I will do whatever you want. However, I will not give away any information that endangers my team's alter egos or possible locations, not including me. I will also not indulge in my past or my teammates' pasts. Deal?" The league was silent for a moment before Batman spoke up in his annoying droning voice.  
"No deal. Whether you like it or not, we want to talk to your entire team, not just you."  
"Very well." My voice was empty as I said this, and Flash twitched at my unreadable tone. "Feel free to search the floors; they're long gone by now. Even so, you'll have to fight me to try and find them," I growled, my tone changing from emotionless to threatening as I spoke. My powers activated and spread out from me in a dome, creating an almost impenetrable wall to encase us.  
Being careful not to push myself overboard to exhaustion, I let the leash on my energy loosen a little bit more, and I was soon thrumming with power. Raw energy in its most powerful form was released in waves and ripples, making the air around me vibrate with intensity. The world became hazy and distorted around me as my power warped the light in the hallway.  
The Flash actually looked nervous at this point, but I could see why; if you loosen your grip on a leash, it's likely to get ripped out of your hand. Indeed, my control was slipping through my fingers like water, and I was glowing brighter with every passing instant. Superman lifted off the ground and floated forwards a few feet.  
"I don't want to fight you, Nucleo. We could seriously hurt you. Just let us find your team; we won't hurt them, we were just curious." I grimaced in anger and pain as my fingers slipped farther down the leash, and my little ball of power began to grow. It physically hurt to keep it caged now, a deep, burning agony in my heart. However, I ignored it and desperately tried to tighten my grip.  
"Sure, because beating me up and breaking into our house is just CURIOUS!" I roared, my control hanging on by a mere thread now. Winds began racing around me, pushing them back until Green Lantern used his ring to create a shield. Knowing it would protect them, I let the control slip for a split second. I was livid.  
How dare they threaten my team, my family?! They were all I had left, and I sure as heck wasn't about to let them go!  
And that is why the walls of the penthouse hallway are scarred with scorch marks, and why Green Lantern was sweating like a pig from keeping the shield up. Oops.  
I finally turned my power completely off, but was still glaring at them with the force of a hurricane behind my livid expression. I was panting heavily from the physical and mental exertion. Superman took a step forwards, and I let a bit of energy flicker around me again in a threatening manner. No way was he getting close enough to hurt me.  
But the thing was, while I was panting and exhausted, practically made of cuts, bruises, and broken bones, he was in tip-top shape, if a little wind blown. So, when he flew another few inches forwards, I let loose a concentrated stream of energy right at his chest. It hit him full-on with the force of a car, but he just floated there like nothing was happening. My eyes widened slightly, and I pulled the energy back to me, ready for an attack. But it never came. Instead, all Superman had to do was send a short command to his teammate before I lost most hope.  
"Green Lantern." Superman waved his hand at the green-clad superhero, and the Corps member immediately raised his hand. A green bubble materialized around me, and I cursed as I realized I was trapped. It was even soundproof, dang it!  
The rest of the Justice League representatives filed past me, discussing something, probably how they were going to find my team. Oh, heck naw, not happening!  
Like a wire snapping, for the second time in the span of ten minutes, my control ran out the door and down the street. But this time, I was thoroughly exhausted, and the burst of energy was much weaker than before. It barely made a dent in Green Lantern's energy, and I slumped to the green 'floor' when it was done, half-conscious.  
The League members barely spared me a glance.  
Through the open door to the living room, I saw them leave through the window, disappearing from view. My vision blurred as my eyelids slid halfway closed, my breathing labored as the walls of the hallway swam in a dull green light. A domino mask-covered face appeared in front of me, and I guess he could control whether or not the bubble was soundproof, because his voice began to echo around me.  
"Hey, Nucleo? Kid, you okay? Can you hear me?" I didn't answer, my head was pounding too badly. I really overextended myself, and it was a miracle I wasn't unconscious, but I had trained myself to be stronger. Hey, the green light's disappearing. Why am I being carried? Oh, geez, I'm not that weak, am I? Lily would be disappointed in me...  
That got me up. Blinking blearily, I frantically pushed myself out of the arms holding me and collapsed to the floor, trying to push myself up. A heavy hand rested on my shoulder, but I was too worried it was attacking me to focus on the soothing voice in my ears. I wasn't in my right mind, panicking and desperately trying to pull myself away from who ever was right next to me. Hey, why is there a giant green hammer in front of me...?  
And the world disappeared.


End file.
